In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, we asked the Kiwi Crate team to share how they have been inspired by the great American author. Check out our favorite quotes below and visit our Facebook Page to share yours!

Clara from Merchandising loves this quote because it reminds her that it’s important to take the time to find things to giggle about. Humor makes each day brighter!Kara in Customer Service treats the world as her stage. Whether she’s sending knock knock jokes to customers, asking her dog for a high five, or tap dancing on stage, she strives to find silly moments each day.

“I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells.”

Ryan from Product Design loves this quote because it speaks to creativity, in both children and in adults. It helps her remember that often the best way to solve a design problem is to step back and wake up your brain with some silliness. Fortunately, she has two little boys who help make sure that she’s never lacking for nonsense in her life.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

This quote has inspired both of our interns! Pedro from Marketing was inspired as a kid to fall in love with books, which allowed him to explore both real and fictional places he would have never imagined he could visit. In turn, reading sparked his curiosity to pursue higher education, which has offered him the opportunity to experience many different countries and cultures around the world. Sarah, who is also from Marketing, is reminded to be her best and to constantly strive to learn from every opportunity and obstacle. She loves learning and trying new things and thinks that it is important to have a positive approach to all opportunities to develop herself and her work.

“Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!”

Patty from Customer Care loves this quote because it reminds her to always be happy with herself and that there is no one else like her in the world who can be as awesome as she is at providing quick and delightful service to our customers or doing the latest Zumba dance moves.

“You do not like them. So you say. Try them! Try them! And YOU MAY!”

Lara from Marketing loves this quote because it reminds her to embrace new challenges and experiences. Just because something is unknown, and may seem scary (or gross!), you never know – it may turn out to be a really wonderful experience. She also loves it (and Green Eggs and Ham in general) because it might actually get her kids to try a new vegetable (or a new sport!)

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.”

This quote really resonates with Lisa from Product Design because it reminds her that she just needs to pick the destination or the next step in life – and she has all the tools she needs to get there. Sometimes the destination is a needed vacation or the next step in her career, and other times it’s something new she wants to learn or help her kids achieve.

“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.”

Jyoti, a Software Engineer, loves this quote. She loves animated book readings with her child. This quote resonates with her story time experience. That sweet request of reading one more book at bedtimes makes her forget everything and she becomes a child again to explore the fascinating world of books together.

“You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So… get on your way!”

Brenda from Marketing loves this quote because it reminds her to be excited and not delay on whatever mountain she is trying to conquer (her mountains range from planning the next Kiwi Crate email campaign to getting in shape to swim a relay across Lake Tahoe to getting her kids to school on time).

Do you have a favorite Dr. Seuss quote? We would love to hear it! Head over to our Facebook page to share with us.

]]>http://www.kiwicrate.com/blog/12536/why-kiwi-crate-loves-dr-seuss/feed/0Real Reviews From Real Momshttp://www.kiwicrate.com/blog/12472/real-reviews-from-real-moms/
http://www.kiwicrate.com/blog/12472/real-reviews-from-real-moms/#commentsTue, 10 Feb 2015 20:23:12 +0000Sarah Pratthttp://live.kiwicrate.com/blog/?p=12472Continue reading →]]>At Kiwi Crate, we love to hear how kids are interacting with our crates and the activities included. We’ve asked a few bloggers to explore our projects with their families and share their honest experiences. Check out what these real life moms had to say.

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Koala Crate and Kiwi Crate

“I was expecting the kids to like the crates and enjoy the activities but Julia exclaimed, “this is just the most terrific day of our lives, huh Bash?!” while she was busy working so I think to say, yes – they sort of liked them, at the very least.”

“He was just so tickled with the zillions of options with his goods that I just let him play for 2+ hours. Everything in his box was completely reusable and he’s slept with that truck under his pillow every night since it was opened.”

Camp Patton is a wonderfully true representation of family life from the perspective of Grace Patton, a wife and mother of four. From delicious recipes to arts and crafts, the Camp Patton Blog is a great resource for moms and dads looking for fun activities the whole family can enjoy.

Kiwi Crate and Doodle Crate

“Each month they have a new theme like gardening, dinosaurs, space and the activities are developmentally appropriate and enriching. I love that I get to give my babies something fun to do while they learn a new technique or craft.”

Mimi G Style is authored by Mimi G, an amazing mother, wife, and chef! With a very cool, trendy vibe, Mimi G excellently delivers a range of lifestyle, fashion and DIY crafts for adults and children. Her motto Buy It, Make It, Mix It, Rock It sums up her approach to this all inclusive lifestyle blog for moms from all different walks of life.

Kiwi Crate

“It arrives in a fairly small box, and I was hopeful that it would give us an hour’s worth of activities. Pffftttt…. more like DAYS worth of activities. Seriously!”

“There are still seven activities in the activity book that we haven’t done yet as well as two luminaries yet to make. I’m astonished at all of the great opportunities for quality time this has brought our family!”

My Life and Kids features a huge range of families activities and parenting tips, from arts and crafts to how to exercise as a family. Anna Luther captures essence of family life and provides all the tips and tricks you could ever need to live a happy and fruitful life as a family.

Whether you like giving roses or cards or simply enjoying family time, Valentine’s Day is a great time to share the love and create fond memories. We have put together 10 of the cutest DIYs you can share with your loved ones!

Let’s kick off the new year with a brand new crate! The theme this month is Let’s Bake.

Begin your baking adventure by pulling out your very own chef’s hat and apron included in your crate to decorate. Learn about the tools you need to bake and make your own frosted cake with icing clay and fun toppings – yum! Plus, learn all about the chemistry of baking and the “magic” that makes cakes rise.

There is so much fun to be had this month and we can’t wait to share it with you!

My Chef Dress-Up

Before you starting baking like a chef, first you need to look like one! Decorate your chef’s hat and apron using fun food-shaped stickers and crayons. Great for young chefs to wear in real or play kitchens!

My Frosted Cake

Now that you are dressed for success, it’s time to bake a cake! In this project – which is great for inspiring imaginative play – create your own layered cake with sponge cake pieces. Decorate your cake in whatever way your creativity takes you, with super-cool “icing” clay and colorful cake toppings. Don’t forget to share the cake with your friends and family!

explore! Magazine

In this month’s explore! magazine, Steve meets a new friend, Dave the Elephant, who helps Steve make a mud pie! Steve and Dave discover the tools they need to bake and then share their mud pie with all their friends.

Learn to make your own salt dough and then craft it into a pie, a pretzel or a croissant! Investigate what yeast does in our science baking experiment and find out what the height of a chef’s hat means. You can also turn your crate into your very own stovetop to help you bake!

Kiwi Crate Library

Here are a few of our favorite baking themed books you can share with your friends and family to extend the baking fun!

Snow, snowmen, scarves and skiing – it’s the time of year when the cold weather sets in and hot chocolates are a must-have. But it doesn’t mean you can’t have loads of fun!

The theme this month is Frozen Fun! Bring out your creative side by making your own ice cube paints or put on your scientist’s hat and conduct an ice melting experiment. We hope you enjoy the chance to play, explore, learn and create from the comfort of your own home with this month’s crate!

My Snowman Toss

Have a ton of fun decorating a snowman with festive stickers and colored markers! Discover a range of different patterns by mixing and matching faces with different bodies. Let out all your energy by throwing a foam snowball at your snowman in our snowball toss game!

Source: The Hungry Runner Girl

My Winter Luminaries

Build a pair of stunning, glowing luminaries and decorate them with beautiful wintery scenes. Place a battery powered tea light (included) inside of your luminary to brighten up your room this winter!

explore! Magazine

In this month’s explore! magazine, Steve makes a new friend – Tanya the Arctic Fox! Steve and Tanya work together to build a snowman and go on an adventure to find everything they need.

Discover the difference between snowboarding and snow tubing or learn how to bake cinnamon snowflakes that will fill your home with a delicious holiday smell!

Kiwi Crate Library

There are heaps of books you can share with your family to make the frozen fun last longer – here are a few of our winter themed favorites!

Iceby Arthur Geisert
Ages 4+This charming tale tells the adventures of a group of pigs trying to escape the heat entirely through witty illustration.

The Story of Snowby Mark CassinoAges 4+A visual and easy-to-understand exploration of snowflakes and their creation. Sure to excite young scientists and inquisitive readers!

Snowby Uri ShulevitzAges 4+A simple story paired with lively watercolor illustrations that shares a boy and his dog’s hopes for a snowy day.

November is the last month in our Time Traveler series! The theme is Discovering Dinosaurs and we hope you’ll join us for our trip waaaay back in time. Explore the world of dinosaurs and learn how paleontologists discover dinosaur bones. Try measuring different sizes of dinosaurs and learn how to make dinosaur fossils you can dig up yourself!

My Dinosaur Fossils
Arrange dinosaur bones into different dinosaur skeletons. Then use clay to make your own dinosaur fossils.

My Dinosaur Dress-Up
Use colorful felt to make your own dinosaur visor and feet. Practice stomping around like a dinosaur or play a game of dinosaur tag.

explore! magazine
In this month’s explore! magazine, you’ll meet Meg the Mole and help Steve the Kiwi dig for dinosaur fossils. Learn about the different types of dinosaurs create your very own dino fossils. You’ll even find a recipe for baking fossil cookies, now that’s a colossal treat!

Kiwi Crate LibraryHere’s a few of our favorite dinosaur books for you to read with your little ones!

Dinos To Goby Sandra BoyntonAges 2+
Rhyming verse and playful cartoons tell the story of many kinds of silly dinosaurs, complete with tabs for easy navigating.

Bones, Bones, Dinosaur Bonesby Byron BartonAges 4+
A simple story that explores the process of paleontologists searching for, excavating, and preparing dinosaur fossils for a museum.

Flip-O-Saurusby Britta Drehsen and Sara BallAges 4+
With over 1,000 different combinations, this book provides an opportunity for kids to learn about and assemble different dinosaurs.

As you have probably heard, we recently expanded our Kiwi Crate family with the launch of Koala Crate, Doodle Crate and Tinker Crate. We wanted to get real opinions from real people about what they thought of our latest offerings, so we reached out to a few of our favorite bloggers to get their opinions on our new crates.

“What surprised me the most was the quality of the included materials. Our trebuchet is well-built and can withstand the stress of living in a house with three boys. It has already migrated to our playroom to sit next to the castle inhabited by dragons and knights.”

Kids Activities Blog, written by Holly Homer and Rachel Miller, is all about great things to do with kids that are easy, fun, have learning elements and can be done with stuff you already have at home. Their first book, 101 Kids Activities that are the Bestest, Funnest Ever!, is now in bookstores.

“This month was the biggest hit, filled to the brim with materials for a color scavenger hunt (the BEST), a watercolor banner craft and a color sheet experiment for mixing colors and learning hues. With an insert for parents that includes questions to discuss with your child, time investments and messiness factors, it’s a foolproof way to connect with your kids in an educational (crazy fun) way.”

Design for Mankind is authored by the amazing Erin Loechner. A former art director/stylist in Los Angeles, Erin has been blogging and speaking for more than a decade and has garnered a loyal, design-loving following with over one million fans worldwide.

Everyone’s favorite night for spookiness is right around the corner! Have you gotten in the spirit yet? What are your favorite Halloween activities besides trick-or-treating? We’ve gathered a few of our favorite Halloween-themed crafts that both you and your little one will enjoy!

Paper Plate Halloween Crafts
Want some super simple, last minute Halloween craft ideas for the kids? Create this trio of Halloween characters using dessert plates from the dollar store and a short list of supplies.

Witch’s Broomstick Bag
Make an witch’s broomstick with a twist! This fun Halloween favor bag is perfect for a classroom or October birthday party! All you need to make one broomstick are two lunch-sized paper bags, string, and a stick or tree branch.

Spider Web Snacks
A fun tasty-treat that’s simple to make and so fun for little ghost, goblins and maybe even Spiderman to nibble on during Halloween-time!

Shrunken Heads
These creepy little shrunken heads are almost too authentic. Your little ones will have fun creating different faces and expressions and seeing how they turn out!

Q-Tip Skeletons
One of our all-time favorite Halloween crafts. Hardly any prep involved – yet such a great looking project! And your little ones will have fun exploring how the bones in the body connect and work together.

Paper Spiders
A classic Halloween craft using just paper to create these spooky spiders pals that your children will enjoy creating.

Pumpkin Seed Mosaic
A great way to use every part of the pumpkin – especially if you and your family have already overdosed on roasted pumpkin seeds!

Polka-Dotted Pumpkin
Carving pumpkins can be pretty tricky and a little nerve-wrecking when you have toddlers and preschoolers around. Use an apple corer instead for a safe and fun way for kids to carve pumpkins–with just a little adult help.

Pumpkin Bread
The delicious aroma of cinnamon and spices wafting in the air is a perfect way to create memories of autumn, cool weather, and getting cozy at home with some fun books and tasty snacks! This is an easy recipe that you and your child can do together.

Paper Pumpkin Decorating
A great pumpkin shape craft that is fun for all ages. Work on shapes and sorting while having fun and get creative making jack-o-lantern faces with different shapes.

Whipped Pumpkin Dip
Pumpkins are packed with nutrients (just don’t tell the kids that). Here’s a favorite dip recipe that you can make each fall that the whole family will enjoy!

Pumpkin Smoothie
Most kids love smoothies and they’re the perfect way to add some extra nutrition into your little one’s diet. This pumpkin smoothie will be a new family favorite!

]]>http://www.kiwicrate.com/blog/12231/10-easy-pumpkin-diys/feed/0Wild West Adventureshttp://www.kiwicrate.com/blog/12215/wild-west-adventures/
http://www.kiwicrate.com/blog/12215/wild-west-adventures/#commentsWed, 15 Oct 2014 18:51:45 +0000Reichelhttp://live.kiwicrate.com/blog/?p=12215Continue reading →]]>October’s Wild West Kiwi Crates are shipping out this week. We hope you are all excited as we are! We wanted to share with you a collection of our favorite projects all centered around cowboys, Native Americans and the Wild West frontier. We hope you and your kids will enjoy some of these crafts and activities along with your Wild West crate!

Miniature Teepee
Make an easy teepee out of sticks and paper for hours of pretend play. Learn about early Native American life and all about the construction of teepees.

Hand Print CampfiresThis fun campfire art project always turns out great and it’s so easy to do with just paint and paper. You and your child could also talk about and explore different flame colors and what causes them.

Corn Husk Doll
Corn husk dolls have been around a long, long time. Your child will enjoy making this old-fashioned toy out of something so unexpected!

Free WANTED Poster Printable
This free printable is a great way to get your child’s imagination flowing. Together you can come up with a whole slew of fun characters to add to these posters.

Fingerprint Corn
This is a craft that even the youngest of you Kiwi Craters out there can enjoy! Create your own unique ears of corn.

Paper Bag Cowboy and Sheriff VestsThis great DIY costume is made from paper bags and envelopes! Native American Headband
Dress up is always a kid favorite! This DIY will be fun for your child to create and role-play with afterwards!Owl Burlap Fall Flag
Make these adorable owls using an apple as the stamp. This is the perfect fall craft and you can display it year after year.Sheriff Badge
When there’s a cowboy, there’s always a sheriff! This great sheriff badge is simple to make with card stock. Then adorn it with stickers or whatever your child would like to add to make it there very own.World’s Best Popcorn Ball Recipe
Popcorn has a long history in our country. Cowboys might not have had these amazing popcorn balls, but they probably would have loved them just as much as we do!